ND Filter choice

I'm interested in buying some ND filters and I've got several questions about it to try to make the right choice.

First, I'm trying to get a 2 filter set that will be the most useful.
I want to be able to take photos of waterfalls (2 seconds is enough) as well as some long exposure shots (30s and more).

With my Canon DSLR, I had a B+W ND64, and was quite happy with it, but it was sometimes "two much" and sometimes "not enough".

With my E-M10, the base ISO is 200, and diffraction comes faster, so I think the ND64 will by fine for the 2 seconds shots.
So I was tempted by ND64 + ND1000 set.
But maybe a ND16 + ND64 or ND8 + ND64 set will be better?

Second question is about the type of filter.
B+W MRC filters are very good filters, but only they don't exist in slim versions.
I will only buy 52 mm filters (my 9-18 and my 45-150 have 52 mm filter threads), so for my 12-32 (and primes) I would have to use an step up ring (37-52 and 46-52).

So I was wondering if the Haida Pro II slim fillter could be a better choice:
- when stacking (for example a ND16 and a ND64)
- when using the step up rings
I don't know if it will make a real difference at 12 mm...

I use the haida pro ND filters and am very happy with them.
Especially the 1000 has much less color shift, than the B+W Version.
And yes, two of them can be stacked, at least on a pana 12-35 at 12 mm without vignetting (although only tested with 3:2 format, maybe a problem if 4:3 is used)
Not so sure about stacked filters at 12mm on a step up ring, but it should not be a problem with the much larger opening of filter vs. lens.

I too would recommend Haida's Slim Pro II multi-coated filters. I have the 10-stop filter, and it's really quite amazing for the price I paid for it.

Another option (for every lens that doesn't go below 12mm) would be their MRC variable ND filter. I own one of these (i bought it for using with video), but am surprised how much I use it for photography as well. It makes it very easy to dial in the right amount of ND to achieve a desired shutter speed.

The ProII is the MRC version (multi coating, MRC may be the B+W name for this).
The price difference between Haida and B+W is not huge in 52 mm filters (37€ for Haida, 50€ for B+W), but the Haida have the advantage of being slim.

I think I'm going to buy one Haida (nd1000 probably) and decide if I go the same brand for the ND64.

You might find a circular grad as useful as I do doing landscapes in full sunlight as it allows white clouds to be held back, so that they don't give you burnt-out highlights, while exposing the rest properly. Researching various reviews suggested that Tiffen do the best for this as the transition is very gentle.

The ProII is the MRC version (multi coating, MRC may be the B+W name for this).
The price difference between Haida and B+W is not huge in 52 mm filters (37€ for Haida, 50€ for B+W), but the Haida have the advantage of being slim.

I think I'm going to buy one Haida (nd1000 probably) and decide if I go the same brand for the ND64.

Are these Haida filter easy to clean?

Click to expand...

If you are thinking about more than one ND filter, look out for sets.
I got the set with ND8, ND64, ND1000 including two metal screw in caps in 58mm for 95€.
The set in 52mm is about 80€ (in germany)

The ProII is the MRC version (multi coating, MRC may be the B+W name for this).
The price difference between Haida and B+W is not huge in 52 mm filters (37€ for Haida, 50€ for B+W), but the Haida have the advantage of being slim.

I think I'm going to buy one Haida (nd1000 probably) and decide if I go the same brand for the ND64.

Are these Haida filter easy to clean?

Click to expand...

Slim pro II version will be easy to clean. At 12mm, and stacked, you might get wee bit vignette, however, should you change in the future to say 9-18mm which uses 52mm, even with step up I suspect you might have some vignette. Typically the most useful NDs for landscapes would be ND8,ND64 & ND1000. ND64 is very useful for sunsets/rise, a short period but possibly most useful. I typically use this to stretch my exposure to 1-2min at F8 with the flexibility to go F6.3-F11 (personal tolerance for diffraction) to achieve the exposure that I want. And ND8 can be really useful for fast primes to use wide open in the day with flash sync.

I have a 2 stop and 3 stop ND filter. I use the 3 stop the most. Even with a 3 stop filter on a bright day, I think the most I can usually get is a half second without blowing highlights up. On occasion, I sometimes need a 4 or 5 stop, but thats rare.

My ND64 was nice for waterfalls and things like that, and not enough sometimes - for example for long exposure on sea sides.
I think a ND16 + ND64 + ND1000 set would be great... I'm not sure about the ND8.

@Thorsson: I looked for sets but didn't find anything in France with the versions of Haida filters I want...

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